The London Gatwick Airport is the largest and busiest airport in the entire United Kingdom after Heathrow. This truly makes it a big and busy airport. Yet, when one is looking for a London Gatwick Airport car rental, that size brings a lot of choices. Choice is good for vehicle selection, convenience, and price.

Upon arriving at Gatwick Airport, one can find the onsite car rental companies across the way from the international terminal in the short stay car park. The London Gatwick Airport car rental companies are located on the fifth floor. It is here one will find the largest car companies with onsite fleets of cars.

Those looking to save money can arrange to have a car rental from an offsite pre-booking car company. They will meet passengers at the terminal and have paperwork ready when they meet. One can take the rental away straight from the airport. However, for this service and savings one needs to pre-book before arrival.

If one still would like a London Gatwick Airport car rental cheaply and they did not pre-book, they can call local car hire services and see what is available. It is possible if they are willing to wait, the car could be brought to them. However, as part of cost savings the company may want the customer to come to their office, so a taxicab charge (unless public transit is available to the office) will need to be added into the final total to see if there was bargain made.

Despite being located 28 miles South of London’s city center, Gatwick Airport is still considered a part of the London airport group. It is the second largest and second busiest, outdone only by Heathrow International Airport. Serving over 32 million passengers a year, the need for car hire at Gatwick Airport is critical which is why five separate companies have locations onsite.

There are car hire desks in both terminals. The car rental building at the South Terminal is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The car rentals at the North Terminal only operate between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. although they still maintain a 7-day a week schedule. Advance booking allows you to pick up your rental car on each terminal’s lower forecourt road. If you do not want to go through the car hire desks at the Car Rental Building you can prebook from any of seven companies that work out of Gatwick Airport. As well as the internationals, Alamo, National, Avis, Budget, and Hertz, there are two regional car hire companies that maintain a presence at the airport; Europcar and Season Car Hire.

While it is easy and convenient to take advantage of the onsite locations for direct booking, you can acquire greater savings by booking in advance. By using any of the multitude of price comparison sites you will be able to work the competition against itself for the best possible deal on the type of vehicle you want to use. As well as the bottom line price provided, it is suggested you also check to see if the price includes some of the extra fees that may or may not be figured in to the listed rental price. Check not only for the type of insurance required but, if you are going to be traveling in London itself, there may be the congestion fee that will also have to be figured into the total car hire expense.

The problem with Gatwick airport is that it is not one of the most accessible airports that you are likely to find. Of course, by road it is very straightforward but if you are like one of the thousands who decide to catch a train there then you will have your work cut out. Getting a train to Gatwick airport is very difficult and, above all, expensive. The reason for this is that you have to get a train into one of the large London stations before you can transfer to a train that’ll take you to the airport. Whenever you are travelling into London, the price will increase dramatically because you get caught up in the mass of people who want to go on holiday to one of the most popular cities in the world; not a good idea. It is very complicated if you are coming in from south of London, because you will have to navigate your way around the London tube system which is bad enough at the best of times; let alone when you are rushing to catch a flight! Travelling by train is definitely not the way to go if you are going to Gatwick.

Instead, drive to the airport and park your car in one of the car parks. This is much cheaper than many people expect with it only amounting to around £1 per hour every day. As we near the end of a week, the price decreases to around £0.75 per hour – you will not find a better rate in any other car park!

Parking at the North Terminal of Gatwick Airport is a refreshing experience as far as airport parking goes. If you book far enough in advance, you can get long stay parking for as little as £3 a day, and it is still only £9.50 per day if you don’t book and just turn up when your flight is due. There are frequent patrols of the long stay car park, and it is covered by high security fences and CCTV. A free coach service comes every 10 minutes and will transfer you from the car park to the North Terminal.

If long stay car parking doesn’t tickle your fancy then you can park in the short stay car park at the north terminal for the sum of £22.20 for every 24 hours stayed there. With it being short stay there are also hourly rates should you simply be picking someone up, or visiting the airport for a short period of time. If you book in advance however, there are deals to be had if you wish to use short stay parking for staying a long period of time.

Finally, valet parking is for those looking for a bit more luxury in the car parking. You simply drive up to the north terminal and hand your keys over to the staff. These staff will then help you inside with your luggage and let you get settled whilst they park your car in a secure location. Upon return to your car when you come back into Gatwick on your return flight, you will find your car ready and waiting nearby for a fast trip home.

It is always nice to know that you have a vehicle to rely on when you are in a foreign country. Many times you go abroad and think that you can manage without a car, but in actual fact this is an impossibility. The public transport system in many countries is very similar but they still take a time to become accustomed to. It is very easy to go into a train station in a new country and not have a clue what you have to do. In some places you pay on the train, in others you have to pre book tickets; the net effect of all this is that you end up getting overly stressed about getting yourself around, which is the last thing you want to be doing when you are on holiday!

If, on the other hand, you decide to rent a car then you are saving half the trouble. The vehicle is always there for you when you need it; no more reading timetables in an unfamiliar language or trying to co-ordinate a day around the public transport system. Instead, you can rest assured that you have a vehicle in your possession that can be utilised whenever you need it. From Gatwick airport you can hire a wide range of vehicles to suit your needs. Whether that be a 2 seater or a 7 seater there is a car for you; you don’t have to compromise on your car – and it is, without a doubt, the best option.

When you drive to Gatwick airport, you can rest assured that you have made the right decision. All too many times, people say that you shouldn’t drive to an airport for an assortment of reasons; many of which are just invalid. Take, for example, the idea that if you drive then you will have to pay a fortune to park the car. This couldn’t be further from the truth at the South Terminal, where it can cost as little as £1 per hour if you stay for the week. If you were to be offered that rate in any of the city car parks then there is no way that you would turn it down, yet when it comes to the airport car park it is suddenly too expensive.

Similarly, if you drive then you drastically reduce the chance of arriving late for the flight. If you are travelling by a train then you are essentially restricted to the line. If anything happens, whether that be a crash or anything else likely to cause a delay then there is nothing you can do; you just have to accept the delay. When you have to catch a series of trains (as is necessary when you travel to Gatwick) then any delay can play havoc with your trip which will mean you turn up late. Choose to park at the South Terminal and this risk disappears. You are in complete control of your journey which means that there is no risk of delay; you have the ability to change your route!

When you arrive at Gatwick airport, the first thing on your mind will be parking. Airports used to be seen to have very little parking, but this certainly isn’t the case at Gatwick. For starters there are three types of car parking – short term, long term and valet parking. Short stay car parking is located close to all the major terminals, and the car parks have recently gone under a price review which has actually made parking rather cheap. For example, if you want to stay up to 15 minutes, you will have to pay the nominal fee of £1. If you’re staying for 24 hours, you pay £22.20 which actually works out at under £24 per hour. If you’re parking in short stay for a day or two, then you may be able to benefit from Gatwick airport’s

Landing at Gatwick airport instantly gives you an excellent base to travel to London, as it is less than 30 miles from the capital. There are plenty of public transport links to and from London via train and taxi. Some rail operators will take you to London from Gatwick for a very cheap fare, but with the recent strike action in the UK surrounding transport, you can’t really be sure that your train will arrive on time, if at all. If you are flying to Gatwick on business then you really cannot afford to rely on trains – missing a meeting could well cost your company hundreds of thousands of pounds, and you may miss out on that promotion you’ve been working for! Alternatively, taxis at Gatwick are a viable choice, but there is often a mad rush and a large queue to get one. There’s often the case of taxi drivers taking the long route to visitors who don’t know the area well so they can boost up their fare.

By far the best way to get to and from the airport, and get out and about, is to hire a car. A decade ago, car hire was expensive and difficult to set up; nowadays heavy competition in the car hire market has brought prices down to a very acceptable level – even to a level that comparable with public transport. If you just need a reliable car, you can pick Kias, Fords, Vauxhalls or many similar brands of car up cheaply, but even if you do want to turn up to a business meeting in a Mercedes-Benz or BMW these are also available on attractive rates.

If you are travelling to London via Gatwick airport then it is probably useful for you to know that there is a car hire service available. A hire car may not be the cheapest option and will obviously only be suitable for people who can drive and are confident on UK roads, however, there are many advantage over the other alternatives if you are not lucky enough to have someone pick you up. If you want flexibility and freedom then hiring a car is the best option and you should be able to keep it for all of your time in London.

A great tip, is to book the car in advance. There are many reasons why this is a good idea. Firstly you may be able to save money, especially if you book it a few weeks in advance. You will also have time to compare prices of the different deals available, see what models they have and make a well informed decision as to which car you want to choose. Leaving it until you need it, may mean that you have a more limited choice and you are likely to be in too much of a hurry to have time to make a proper comparison. You should be able to relax on your journey more, if you know that you have got this detail already sorted out. There is always a lot to think about and to organise when you are travelling and having this already sorted out, will make it all a lot easier.